Yu Yu Hakusho 2GX
by MoonDream6
Summary: 2nd generation of Reikai Tantei. An adventure with the team's children. All the kids are trying to find ways to make their parents love and trust them, and it goes unsuccessful, until Hiei's son falls in love. I promise this story doesn't suck.
1. Chapter 1 Meeting the kids

A/N: Chetara isn't mine. She belongs to someone else. Ari is my character, and so is Kiri, Artemis, Kazuka, and Ayla. Oh. And Kuro, Marla, and many, many assorted characters that don't even appear in this story. They're ALL mine.

--

Ari and her friend, Chetara, were running for their lives amidst a huge line of youkai, who were unhappy about the two girls who kept pushing people aside.

"Get BACK here!" The person who was chasing them yelled loudly.

"Let's go!" Ari yelled. On her way passing a food court, her tail instinctively grabbed an orange. Ari looked around and her eyes met a boy on the other side of the square. It felt like she'd been electrocuted. She was stunned.

When they were finally able to stop running, Ari tossed the orange at Chetara and brought out the other food she'd grabbed.

"Whew." Ari sighed.

"We almost got caught there. That was too close for comfort." Chetara nodded, getting out the food she'd grabbed.

"Yup." Ari nodded.

Ariana Miyuki is a neko who has purple hair, green eyes and a cheerful disposition.

Chetara Kioke is a full blooded ookami with black hair, red tips, and an mischievous nature.

"Getting food each week is such an ordeal." Chetara muttered.

"Yeah, but it's that or starve."

"Yeah, I know." Chetara sighed. They both leaned against the tree that served as their home and thought, there has to be a better life for us.

Chetara Kioke is a lone wolf who's pack had been killed. Her only sister, Aya, was the only other survivor of that pack. But Chetara hadn't seen Aya in years.

Ariana Miyuki was a neko whose family had abandoned her when she was young. She had never known her family and had been raised by Chetara's ookami family until they were killed.

Rewind thirty minutes and go to the other side of Maikai...

"I'll send one of the generals to get the food for this months groceries." Hiei frowned.

"Father, that's rediculous." Hiei's son, Artemis, frowned with his eyes closed.

"What?" Hiei snapped.

"I said, that is unessissary. I will handle it myself, father." Artemis frowned.

"Hn."

Artemis collected the money and left to go to market. He started to buy the food for this month when he heard a commotion behind him.

Two girls were running down the street. They appeared to be holding food. The shopkeeper was screaming for them to stop. Appearently, they had stolen that food. As they passed him, the neko girl made eye contact with him and he felt sparks,

This girl is something else. But who on Maikai was she?

Later that night...

"I swear, Kiri, when she looked at me..." Artemis sighed. "It was incredible. I felt sparks, I felt dazed. The whole nine yards."

"You haven't been eating your mom's meatloaf again, have ya?" Kiri frowned.

"No!" Artemis snapped.

"Hm. Well, I hate to be the one to tell ya this but," Kiri sighed. "True love doesn't exist. It's been proven."

Artemis Jaganshi looks just like Hiei with the exception of his hairstyle.

Kiri Kurama has blonde hair, green eyes, and aside from that, looks just like his father.

"It has to!" Artemis blurted. "If the way I felt when I seen her wasn't true love...It has to be."

Kurama walked in.

"Hello Kiri, Artemis."

"Hey dad. Sup?" Kiri greeted.

"Hello Kurama." Artemis said.

"Sup?" Kurama asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What's up?" Kiri repeated.

Kurama looked up. "..."

"Very funny, dad. Anyway, what's going down?"

Kurama looked at the floor.

"Dad!"

"Your mother made dinner." Kurama smiled. "Artemis, Are you staying for dinner?"

"Yes!" Artemis was quick to reply. "Your mother's cooking is so much better than my mom's, Kiri."

"Hehe..." Kiri snickered. "Come on then."

Artemis followed them to the table.

"Hello, Artemis. Hello Kiri." Kiri's mother greeted them.

"Sup, mom?"

"Hello, ma'am." Artemis smiled.

"Kiri. Must you use that wretched slang?" Kiri's mother sighed.

"Yup. Picked it up from the boys at the pier." Kiri grinned.

Kurama and his wife exchanged amused glances.

"Come on people! It's chow time!" Kiri grinned.

Artemis groaned. He knew Kiri did this to annoy his family. Kurama raised an eyebrow.

"It's..."

Suddenly a boy and a girl barge in.

"Hey everybody. What's going on?" Kazuka greeted them.

"Hey, Kazuka. Sup?" Kiri greeted. "Sup, Ayla?"

"Hello." Ayla smiled.

Kuzuka Kuwabara is Kuwabara and poor Yukina's son. Sadly, he looks like Kuwabara's clone.

Ayla Urameshi is Kayko and Yusuke's daughter. She has Yusuke's black hair and Kayko's eyes and facial structure.

"Hello, everyone. Are you here to eat with Kiri's family too?"

"..." Ayla studied the floor.

"What?" Artemis asked.

"Hello, Kazuka. Hello Ayla." Kiri's mother greeted them. "Staying for supper?"

Ayla came alive then. "Oh, can we? Great!"

A/N: She didn't want to eat Kayko's cooking...

"Great! Thanks!" Kazuka cheered. A/N: For the same reason only it's with Yukina's cooking.

They all sat down to eat. Artemis wasn't really hungry, but he tried to eat the food anyway. As good as it was, he was having a hard time. He couldn't stop thinking about that neko girl.

"Artemis? Is the food alright?" Kiri's mother asked.

"Better than my mothers." Artemis answered instantly.

"Hehe..." Kiri snickered.

"It's good, but I'm not really all that hungry." Artemis frowned.

"Dude, you need to stop thinkin' about that neko chick from town today. You're never gonna see her again so chill." Kiri said, shoveling forkfuls of food into his mouth.

"Neko Chick?" Kurama asked.

Artemis opened his mouth but Kiri beat him to it.

"Oh, some girl Artemis saw runnin' in the market today." Kiri continued to shovel food. "He can't stop talkin' 'bout her."

"Kiri!" Artemis growled.

"YOU met a girl, Artemis?" Ayla blinked.

"No way," Kazuka blurted. "You're the most antigirl of us all, with the exception of Ayla for obvious reasons."

"Hehe..." Kiri snickered, shoveling more food. "That's it though. He never met her. He just...watched her for maybe, 10 seconds."

"So, Artemis fell in love with some girl he's never met?" Kazuka blurted.

"Yup." Kiri snickered.

Ayla began to snicker as well and that got Kazuka started. Soon, Kiri, Ayla, and Kazuka were in stitches. Kiri's mother was snickering as was Kurama. Artemis was the only one who didn't find it remotely funny.Once it quieted down, Kurama tried to talk to Artemis about it.

"Do you know anything about this mystic girl?" Kurama asked.

"No. Nothing." Artemis sighed. This was getting embarrassing.

"Maybe you should talk to Koenma." Kurama smiled. "I'm sure he could find her for you."

"I can find her myself!" Artemis got defensive. "I suppose I need to get back. Kurama, could you please not tell my father?"

"Don't worry." Kurama smiled.

"See ya lata, Artemis!" Kiri said, grabbing Artemis' almost full plate of food and disposing it's contents into his plate.

"Bye!" Ayla and Kazuka said.

As Artemis left, he heard Kiri's mother say, "Kiri. Don't eat the contents of other peoples plates. He could be sick. Worse, whether he eats it or not, it's bad manners."

Artemis sighed. Oh boy. Now, there would be no way to eat over here anymore. Kiri had found a new way to annoy his parents.

Artemis walked home the long way, thinking about that neko girl. When he got home, his mother was waiting for him.

"Where were you, Artemis?" Mukuro demanded.

"At Kiri's. I ate over."

Mukuro frowned.

"Good night, mom." Artemis said, as he yawned his way into bed. Before he fell asleep, however, he wondered, does that girl feel the same way about me as I do about her?


	2. Chapter 2 Bringing them together, fusion

Meanwhile...

"He was AMAZING." Ari gushed. "Absolutely wonderful."

"..." Chetara was reading a book she'd found and was ignoring Ari.

Ari sighed. Although she'd only seen him for an instant, in that instant, he'd made her feel special. Wanted.

Is the way I feel about him true love? Has to be. I wonder if Chetara believes in true love. Ari wondered.

"Chetara?" Ari asked.

"...Gr..."

Ari sighed and got up, dusting the dust off her clothes. She walked over to the tree that was their home, and scaled it quickly. Chetara couldn't even climb trees so Ari had nothing to worry about, as far as territory went.

Ari stretched out and yawned. Quite an eventful day...Better yet, she'd seen that amazing guy in the market. Ari hoped she'd get to see him again soon. She fell asleep. Later that night, Ari heard Chetara trying to climb the tree.

"Help me up, Ari! I'm freezing!"

Ari crawled to the edge of the treehouse and looked at Chetara.

"Hm?"

"Help me up before I burn the treehouse down!"

That got Ari's attention. She grabbed Chetara's hands and pulled her up. At that minute, Ari felt watched but she ignored it. Chetara and her threat was more important. This tree wasn't any ordinary tree. This tree was the closest thing they had to a home. Ari had found some boards and extorted some nails and built a windbreak. Or treehouse.

Chetara wasn't really fond of trees and had handed the stuff up to Ari. Ari wouldn't have been able to do it without Chetara. Chetara was her closest friend, her running buddy, her partner in crime. So, Ari owed it to Chetara to help her into the treehouse. And, plus, Ari didn't want to see all their hard work go up in flames.They curled up in their makeshift home and quickly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Maikai, ten minutes ago... Artemis had woken up as well. He frowned. He had to know more about the neko girl. Suddenly, a thought came to mind. I can use my Jagan to find this girl! His hand subconsciencely came up to cover his third eye.

Father said never to use that, though... Artemis frowned. He pulled his headband up. I'm still going to try!

He began to search out the neko girl's energy. Strangely, her energy seemed to be entwined with that ookami girl she associated herself with. That made her energy harder, but not impossible to find.

Suddenly, he could see her. She was in an old treehouse. She helped her wolf friend into the treehouse and they fell asleep quickly.

Artemis, feeling very much like a stalker, covered up his Jagan and soon fell asleep.

The next morning Chetara was up and Ari was not. Chetara was bored and irritated and Ari was asleep.

"Ari, wake up!" Chetara shook her friend viciously.

"Grrrrrr..." Ari sat up and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. "What's up?"

"I can't get down."

Ari helped her down, then jumped down herself. It was very strange that they'd ran out of wood JUST as they were about to build steps for Chetara.

"We need to get some wood so we can build some steps."

"Oh, alright..." Ari sighed. "Is that today's project?"

"Yes."

"Alright then. What trick are we going to use to get these and how many will we need?" Ari yawned.

"5 boards and about 10 nails."

Ari eyed the tree. "Any idea of how we are going to obtain these?"

"No."

"Alright, let's go." Ari sighed. They walked to the square, and Ari spotted a woodworking stand.

"There. I'll distract them, you grab the stuff." Ari yawned.

"Yeah."

Ari walked up to the owner of the stand.

"Hello. I'm looking for something..." Ari gave him her cutest and most innocent look. The person in charge of the stand right now was a teenager. He fell hard for Ari's trickery.

"What would you be looking for, bishoujo?" He grinned.

Ari giggled. While Ari was distracting the guy Chetara snuck up behind him and grabbed the supplies they needed.

"I need to know how much it is for a lumber saw." Ari frowned.

"That would be 245.60 Yen." The boy stared at Ari.

"Oh, right." Ari smiled. "Thank you so much... If you'll excuse me..."

Suddenly, the other owner of the stand saw Chetara ripping off their supplies.

"HEY!" He yelled.

Chetara tossed a few boards at Ari, bidding her to run. Ari caught them, and then they ran like the wind.

Ari, suddenly, tripped over her boards. Chetara ran back to get her and they both got caught.

"LET...US...GO!" Ari yelled, squirming.

"Oh, we will. After we kill you. We don't like thieves."

On the other side of the marketplace Kiri, Artemis, Ayla and Kazuka were walking.

"I still cannot believe you told your dad, Kiri!" Artemis griped.

"Dude, you need to get over it, ok?" Kiri sighed.

"How can I when...?"

"Helooo everyone!" Koenma chirped. "I managed to sneak away."

Koenma Enma. Everyone knows what he looks like, right? Wrong. He's in his full teenage form permanently.

"Hey, Koenma!" Kiri said. "Sup, yo?"

"Hello Koenma." Ayla blushed.

"Hey." Kazuka said.

"Hello. How'd you sneak away?" Artemis asked.

"I had George cover for me."

"Oh." Kiri said. "Dude, you are like SO mean to that guy, y'know?"

"What do you mean? He's a servant!"

"Hm..." Artemis frowned. "So, what if..." He trailed off.

"Dude, what's up?" Kiri asked Artemis. Artemis didn't move or shift his gaze. Kiri looked.

"Hey, that's that neko chick, isn't it? Who is THAT with her?"

"..." Artemis walked over there. He heard a HUGE man say, "Oh, we will. After we kill you. We don't like thieves."

"Excuse me?" Artemis frowned. "What ARE you doing?"

"Uh..." The man said. Artemis locked glances with Ari and felt the same way he had felt yesterday. Even more so now.

"These girls tried stealing from me, so..."

"You were gonna kill them?" Kiri yelled. "LET THEM GO!"

"Why should I?" The man growled. Artemis came back for a minute.

"Because I said so!" Artemis growled. "DO you have any idea who we are! I am Artemis Jaganshi!"

The man dropped Ari in a hurry. She slammed into the ground with a thud.

"The other one too!" Kiri growled. The wolf girl with the other girl was truly something special.

The other people let Chetara go.

"Thanks."

"I'll take my stuff back now." The man scooped up his stuff.

"We'll be back!" Ari yelled. "Next time, though, we won't get caught!"

"I'll be ready!" He yelled. "Next time, though, you won't have them to protect you!"

"See ya next WEEK!" Ari yelled. Artemis blinked. (Amazing...)

Ari stood up and helped Chetara up.

"Too bad he took our boards." Chetara commented.

"mmm...yeah." Ari frowned.

"Hm?" Chetara looked at Ari who seemed to be exchanging a serious glance with that boy she'd been talking about for hours yesterday.

"I'm Chetara Kioke. This is Ariana Miyuki." Chetara looked around. "Now you say something."

"Ayla Urameshi."

"Kazuka Kuwabara."

"Kiri Kurama."

"Koenma Enma."

"And we know you." Chetara said to Artemis. "The way you threw your name at that guy was very tough and impressive." (Sarcasm...)

"Uh...Yeah." Artemis said, without looking at Chetara. He and Ari were exchanging a deer-in-the-headlights look. Chetara and Kiri found this hilarious.

"I think Ari's forgotten her own name." Chetara smirked.

"Artemis has, too. They're limited to saying Um and Yeah." Kiri smirked.

"Ooh, shiny!" Chetara ran off to another stall to look at the shiny object.

"Should we go after her?" Kiri asked.

"Well, Ari and Artemis aren't going anywhere..." Koenma commented.

"Ok, then." The gang ran off after Chetara, leaving Ari and Artemis.

Chetara was too busy running to look at every shiny thing she saw, except mirrors. She hated mirrors because whenever she got close to one, they weren't shiny anymore.

So, while the gang went chasing after Chetara, Ari and Artemis warmed up a little.

"Um...I'm Ari." Ari blushed.

"Artemis." He blushed. They didn't hear the previous introduction

"Um...I know I have a last name, but I can't remember it right now, but I'm sure it'll come to me..." Ari blushed.

"Uh, yeah, me too..." Artemis laughed, a bit nervously.

"Um...do you want to walk around and talk?" Ari asked.

"About what?"

"Just...stuff." Ari smiled. "A little bit of everything."

"Alright." Artemis nodded. They took off just as the gang got back.

"Hey, Where'd they go?" Kazuka yelled.

"Uh oh." Ayla frowned.

"Well, this is bad..." Koenma panicked.

"Guys, it's cool. Ok?" Kiri sighed. "Artemis can handle it."

"Ari can handle it too."

"Good, now lets go something fun." Kiri grinned. "Any suggestions?"


	3. Chapter 3 Ari, Kiri, and Chetara's convo

"..." Chetara was looking for something. Kiri frowned, then grinned.

"We could play pranks on those boys at the docks." Kiri grinned.

"..."

"When they stick their feet in the water, I'll make a vine in the water to wrap around their ankles and scare the dirt out of them!" Kiri grinned.

"Kiri..." Koenma groaned. "Nothing like your father..."

"I wanna watch!" Kazuka cried.

"Anyone else?" Kiri asked.

"There it is!" Chetara runs off.

"What is she...?" Kiri and the gang follow her.

Meanwhile-

"Ooh, ouch." Ari laughed. "Then what?"

"Then, Kiri started laughing and he got caught. You should've seen them chase him."

Ari laughed. "Sounds like Chetara. She loves practical jokes, even when they're not very practical."

"Really?" Artemis asked. "What do you like to do for fun?"

"I..." Ari frowned. "Work on the treehouse and train."

"Treehouse? Train?"

"Yeah." Ari frowned.

"Hm..." Artemis frowned.

Ari didn't want him to think about it too much. She tripped and got a faceful of dirt. Artemis ran over and helped her up.

Artemis smiled at her. Ari blushed, and they realized that they were still holding hands.

Ari didn't want him to let go. When she felt him letting go, she mustered enough courage, brainpower, and strength to squeeze his hands. Now, he was blushing. She let go now.

"Um..." Artemis frowned. He was speechless. Then the gang and Chetara showed up.

"Konnichiwa, Ari!" Chetara said.

"Konnichiwa, Chetara." Ari grinned. "Sup?"

Chetara looked up. "Clouds."

"Nothing much yo." Kiri nodded.

Koenma groans.

"Nothing much YO?" Kazuka asked, frowning.

"Hey guys." Artemis said.

"Hey, Artemis!" The gang chorused.

"Shouldn't we be heading back now?" Koenma asked, nervously. "My father will hurt me severely if he finds out that I'm gone."

"So will mine." Aya agreed. "I, I mean, my father will be really angry if I don't get back."

"Mine too, I guess." Artemis sighed.

"My people will be worried but that's why I'm not going back yet." Kiri grinned.

"Well, then we'll see you later, Kiri. Bye Chetara, bye Ari."

"Bye Ari. See ya Chetara." Artemis blushed.

"Bye, Artemis. Bye everyone." Ari blushed.

Neither Ari nor Artemis attempted to move. Chetara grabbed Ari and Kiri grabbed Artemis.

"Come on, lover girl. Get a move on." Chetara drug Ari away while Kiri started to drag Artemis home.

"It's obvious you're not going to make it home by yourself." Kiri grumbled.

Artemis stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Behind him, Ari did the same. Everyone went home.

Ari and Chetara were sitting in their treehouse. Ari was daydreaming and Chetara was bored.

"We really needed those boards." Chetara sighed.

"I know." Ari said, not really paying attention. She rolled on her stomach. Her tail swished back and forth. Chetara could tell Ari wasn't paying attention.

"Can you lower me down? I think I saw something move."

Ari didn't move. She was beyond listening. She was busy thinking of Artemis.

"ARI!"

Ari's head popped up. "Yeah, what?"

"Lower me down."

Ari helped Chetara out of the treehouse and climbed down herself.

Chetara went chasing after her object, and Ari walked to the square.

When Ari arrived at the square, it was busy as usual. Nothing was happening.

Back with Chetara

Chetara was dragging a deer back to the treehouse when she bumped into someone.

"What are you doing?" Kiri asked.

"I caught this deer and I'm trying to get it back to the treehouse."

"Ah." Kiri watched her drag the deer a few more feet. "Would you like some help?"

"Yeah."

"Ok." Kiri said.

"What's that mean anyway?" Chetara asked.

"It's ningen. It means yes, or alright." Kiri grinned. "It's fun to annoy my parents with."

Kiri started to help Chetara drag the deer back to their treehouse.

Back with Ari--

Ari sighed, walking the streets. (It'd be easier just to cut a tree down.) Ari thought. She passed the stand from earlier.

"Girl!" The shopkeeper called.

Ari almost bolted.

"Uh...How many boards are you needing?" Guy asked, nervously.

"Five...why?"

"Here." He grabbed the boards and handed them to Ari.

"What? Why?"

"Just...It's free today." Guy said, handing Ari some nails and walking away.

Ari went back to the treehouse to find Chetara and a guy in the treehouse.

"Uh...Hello." Ari said.

"Yo." Kiri said.

"Look!" Ari cheered. "I got wood!"

"Did you get nails too?"

"Yup!" Ari grinned. Weird thing was that guy gave me these boards. Just handed them to me...How'd you get up here?"

"Kiri helped me."

"I'm assuming that's you." Ari said to Kiri. "I remember you but not your name."

"Hehe..." Kiri snickered. "The reason you barely remember me is because you and Artemis looked like a stag in the headlights...whatever that means."

"...? Where'd that come from?"

"Ningenkai." Kiri said.

"Hm...Ningenkai...Never heard of it." Chetara frowned.

"Me either." Ari sighed.

"Oh, well, my dad's from there but he's not a ningen." Kiri explained.

"...?" Chetara frowned.

"Artemis is...just demon, right?" Ari asked. "Not...ningen, whatever that is?"

"Right?" Kiri grinned.

"Hm." Ari got really quiet and daydreamy. "Hey, how come he had to go home and you didn't?"

"His dad and mom are super strict. He's an animal in a cage." Kiri said.

"Hm." Ari frowned. "Do you know when they'll let him back out?"

"No." Kiri frowned, then grinned. "But I DO know how to get him out of the house without his people freaking out."

"Oh, would you get him out and over here for me?" Ari begged.

"I'll try." Kiri frowned...then grinned. "I can do it. When do you want him to come?"

"As soon as possible!" Ari said, then thought a minute. "Please."

"I think I can get him out tomorrow." Kiri grinned. "Probably."

Ari cheered. "YAY!...Chetara?"

Chetara had fallen asleep.

"Aw..." Kiri sighed.

"I'm sorry." Ari said, looking at Kiri. "You like her, don't you?"

"Too early to tell." Kiri half growled.

"Liar." Ari grinned. "You do too."

Kiri left and went home. When he got there EVERYONE was waiting for him. EVERYONE.


	4. Chapter 4 Benefit of the doubt

"Kiri!" His mother cried, hugging him.

"Sup, Mom?" Kiri asked, a little winded from his mother suffocating him.

"Kiri." Kurama frowned. Kiri's mother let him go.

"Yeah, dad?"

"Where were you?" Kurama asked, quietly. All the adults watched Kiri closely.

In wide panic, Artemis, Ayla, Kazuka, and Koenma each gave Kiri hand signals.

"I was out hanging with..." Kiri caught the panicked signals. "Uh...erm...I was chillin' with my home dogs, yo." Kiri announced.

Hiei and Kurama frowned, confused.

"I thought they were your home dogs?" Yusuke asked, pointing at the relieved kids.

"Naw, man. Those are my homies. Those dudes at the pier are my dogs." Kiri lied.

"Oh." Yusuke frowned.

"Yeah, uh...I'm beat." Kiri backed away. "See ya."

Kiri ran for his room. Soon after, someone knocked on the door.

"Yeah?"

Kurama walked in. "What kind of way is that to open the door to guests?"

"My way." Kiri sulked. "What's up?"

Kurama sat down on Kiri's bed.

"Kiri? Where were you really?" Kurama asked. "Be honest."

"..." Kiri was quiet. "Don't worry, dad. I did good today."

"Oh, did you?" Kurama asked. "I heard from Yomi what happened at the square today."

"Really? What'd he say happened?" Kiri asked.

"That you and everyone stood up for two thieves." Kurama frowned.

"It wasn't like that." Kiri frowned. "Really."

"Then, how was it?" Kurama asked.

"Not that." Kiri frowned. "Just...trust me, Dad."

"..." Kurama was silent. "I don't know if I can, Kiri. You lied to me."

And he left. Kiri watched him go, sadly. When he shut the door behind him, Kiri threw a pillow at the door, cursing everything. (Why can't he understand me? Why won't he trust me with the benefit of the doubt just once?) Kiri buried his head in the remaining pillow and cried.

Downstairs, everyone went home.


	5. Chapter 5 Kiri's expressions

Next morning, Artemis woke up feeling strange, and thinking about his dream. It was about Ari. He was tired, and wondering about Ari. Sighing, he got up and headed for the kitchen.

"Here you go, Artemis. Breakfast." Mukuro frowned, sliding a plate of barely edible food in front of him. Artemis just looked at it. A) He wasn't hungry. B) He didn't feel good. C) It was digusting to look at, much less taste.

"What's wrong?" Mukuro asked.

"I'm not that hungry." Artemis frowned, looking away from the plate.

"Oh..." Mukuro frowned.

"Hey, Artemis, you coming?" Kiri asked, barging into the dining room.

"Come where?" Mukuro asked, frowning.

"My house." Kiri grinned, crossing his arms.

"Yeah. I'll be back later, mom." Artemis stood up.

"Uh, alright." Mukuro frowned. They went outside and Artemis turned left, and Kiri turned right.

"Where are you going?" Artemis frowned. "Your house is this way."

"We're not going to my house, you baka!" Kiri frowned. "We're going to see Ari and Chetara. Come on, they're this way."

"Ari? We're going to see Ari?" Artemis asked, taking off after Kiri.

Soon...

"Hey, Chetara! Ari!" Kiri yelled. "Are you in there?"

A sleepy voice called, "No. We don't want any. And we're sleeping if you're anyone important."

Another voice yelled, "Is that Kiri?"

"Yeah! And Artemis." Kiri yelled. Two heads popped out, a black and red haired one and a purple haired one, immeadiately. Chetara climbed down with the help of Ari, who then climbed down herself.

"Sorry if we woke you." Artemis said.

"Oh, no problem. We weren't doing anything important, just one of the basic functions of life." Ari yawned, then smiled. Both Ari and Chetara's hair was mussed, as was Artemis, as he hadn't even had time to brush it before Kiri drug him off.

Artemis laughed, then cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Artemis. We would have woken up eventually." Ari smiled.

"Yeah." Chetara yawned. "Hey, Kiri."

"Hey, Chetara." Kiri grinned.

"What's up?"

"The sky and nothing. We were just coming to visit you two." Kiri grinned.

"Cool." Chetara grinned.

Ari and Artemis were quiet, not knowing what to say. Kiri pulled Artemis aside a minute.

"Artemis, I didn't lie to both our parents so you could stand there and look at her. Say something, man!" Kiri growled. "Don't look a girl horse in the mouth! Just go!"

Artemis blinked, confused. "Girl horse?"

"Shut up, and talk to her." Kiri growled.

"I don't know what to say."

"Tell her you missed her, that you've been thinking about her. Tell her SOMETHING!" Kiri griped.

"Uh...ok." Artemis nodded, and they joined the girls.

"How have you been, Ari?" Artemis asked.

"Good, better now, though." Ari blushed.

"..." Artemis blushed too.

Kiri sighed in irritation. "Should we leave them alone awhile to see if they'll start talking? You know, sleeping demons lie?"

"Yeah." Chetara said, confused over his last comment.

"Cool, come on." Kiri nodded, walking away. Chetara followed him. Once Ari and Artemis were alone, they warmed up enough to have a conversation.

"...I missed you." Ari frowned. "That sounds weird, because I just met you but..."

Artemis silenced her. "Me too. Only...I had a dream about you."

Ari blinked, then laughed. "That's two things our night had in common."

"You dreamed about me, too?" Artemis asked, wide eyed.

"Yeah..." Ari blushed, taking his hand and leading him to a tree and sitting down. Artemis blushed crimson, as Ari did too.

"So, you sleep in that treehouse?" Artemis asked. "Where...where are your parents?"

"..." Ari studied her hands in her lap. "We don't have any. My parents abandoned me at birth and Chetara...Her parents were killed when we were young. I lived with her and her parents."

"Oh..." Artemis frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Eh, I've never known my parents, and we barely remember Chetara's parents." Ari smiled softly. "Or Chetara's sister."

"What's her name?" Artemis asked. "I have connections, I can find her."

"..." Ari smiled. "It's been...10 years. Chetara would know more about her than I would."

And wouldn't you know it, Chetara and Kiri walked up, talking up a storm.

"Hey, Chetara." Ari frowned. "What was your sister's name?"

"...My sister?" Chetara frowned. "Why?"

"Artemis says that he can find her for us." Ari smiled. "It was...A...A-something...Aya! That was it. Aya Kioke."

"You can find her?" Chetara frowned, studying Artemis.

"Well, not me exactly. One of my friends." Artemis shrugged.

"Koenma should be able to find her in a kibeat." Kiri grinned.

"A what?" Chetara frowned.

"You know, pulse of the ki. Our hearts don't beat, our ki pulses." Kiri explained. "You know?"

"Hm...makes sense." Ari commented.

"It sounds weird." Chetara frowned.

Artemis shook his head. "That's nothing. You should hear some of his 'expressions'. Some of my favorites include have your gravy and ride it too, something about a cake train, and hitting the nail on the hammer."

Ari laughed. "...strange."

Chetara laughed. "Where would have your gravy and ride it, too be applicable?"

"You know, if someone wants something and all the benefits along with it. They want their gravy and to ride it too." Kiri explained.

"And the cake train?"

"They're riding the cake train. They're going along with something that will help them." Kiri smiled.

Ari shook her head. "Interesting."


	6. Chapter 6 Friends and family

"Hey, let's go somewhere together." Ari said, randomly. "All of us."

"Does that include us? It'd better." Koenma asked, from behind them.

Ari grinned. "Of course." She turned and looked. Kazuka, Ayla, and Koenma were standing there.

"You four were gonna go off on some great adventure, and leave us behind?" Kazuka grinned.

"Well, not quite an adventure." Ayla cut in. "But they were gonna go off and leave us? I don't think so."

"How'd you three get away?" Artemis asked.

"We did the same thing you two did." Koenma said, looking shocked.

"Lie." Kazuka filled in.

Kiri laughed. "Way to go!"

"If my father finds out, I will be in a very big amount of trouble, but I can't just sit on display every day! I need to move, to grow, to have fun, and he needs to see that." Ayla frowned.

"My father needs to trust me." Kiri cut in bitterly.

"My father just needs to realize I'm alive." Artemis sighed. "And my mother to realize I'm a person."

"My father needs to lighten up." Koenma sighed. "I'm gonna be ruler of spirit world one day; I need to go out and see what I'm gonna rule. I need hands-on learning instead of sitting there every minute of my free life going over maps. And being told how to rule."

Kazuka was silent. "My father needs to realize I'm tougher than he thinks. And if I'm not, I have you all."

"I'll eat to that." Kiri said, seriously.

"What?" Everyone asked, looking at him.

Kiri laughed. "Whatever, let's go. To where? Hionds City? Nokenis Villa?"

"Let's just go exploring through the forests." Chetara suggested. "Less chance of you all being spotted."

"Alright!" Kazuka cheered.

"Good idea." Kiri nodded.

"Let's go." Koenma nodded. Ayla smiled then.

"Sounds like fun!" Ayla grinned, once she'd heard Koenma say he wanted to go. Koenma smiled at her, and she blushed.

"Let's zip." Kiri nodded. There was a silence.

"Ningen phrase?" Artemis frowned. "I haven't heard that one..."

"It's not a ningen phrase, I made it up. Can't I make up my own sayings? Come on!" Kiri grinned, taking off for the forest. The group followed.

------------------------------------

Later that night, the group stood at a crossways, that each path led to a different one of their houses.

"See you all tomorrow?" Koenma asked, grinning. "This was so much fun, I didn't even know a tree could do that."

"Oh, they can do all sorts of things." Kiri grinned. "And tomorrow it is. We'll meet at Ari and Chetara's treehouse."

"Night everyone." Ayla smiled. She paused and said quietly, "Night, Koenma."

"Night, Ayla." Koenma grinned, then left. Ayla left too. Kazuka said goodbye and left then, too.

"Uh, goodnight, Artemis." Ari blushed. "Night, Kiri."

"Night." Kiri nodded. "Good night, Chetara."

"See you, Kiri." Chetara smiled.

"Tomorrow, Ari." Artemis grinned, backing down the road to his house. He waved his arms goodbye to them, and Kiri chased after Artemis.

Ari watched Artemis leave, blushing. Chetara watched Kiri leave with a smile.

"We need our sleep, don't we, Ari?" Chetara grinned. "Come on, we'll see them tomorrow."

"Yeah..." Ari nodded, but didn't start back until Artemis faded from view.

------------------------------------

That night, Artemis slid into his seat at the table.

"Hello, Artemis. Do you plan on eating NOW or do I set the table for two?" Mukuro frowned.

"Oh, no, I'm starving, mom." Artemis grinned.

"Good." Mukuro set three plates of food down. Artemis ate his in a whirlwind. Hiei gaped, for a second then coughed.

"...you must be very hungry." He frowned. "I've never seen a plate of Mukuro's food go down so fast."

She glared. Artemis chuckled. "I haven't eaten all day."

"Speaking of eating, I am cutting YOU off." Mukuro said coldly to Hiei, marching out. Artemis chuckled and shook his head, and Hiei chased after Mukuro, hoping to soothe her wrath. Artemis wondered if all people started out similar to him and Ari and then changed into the kind of relationship Hiei and Mukuro had. It was an unsettling thought. Eventually, he couldn't stomach any more of the food, and he went to bed.

------------------------------------

"..." Yukina watched Kazuka eat.

"You must be really hungry." Kuwabara commented. "That's uh...your mom's meatloaf."

Yukina frowned. "What's wrong with my meatloaf?"

"Nothing, Yukina, my love." Kuwabara tried to make amends.

------------------------------------

Ayla tore into her food as well. Kayko insisted that they spend "quality time" at dinner, talking about their day. Ayla was far too busy eating to talk, however.

"Dear, are you alright? You're not talking much..." Kayko asked.

"I'm too hungry." Ayla muttered, through huge mouthfuls.

"You're just like your father!" Kayko exclaimed. "No manners."

"What's this about my daughter not having manners?" Yusuke asked, dropping into his seat, and heaving forkfuls into his own mouth.

"I haven't eaten all day." Ayla muttered.

Yusuke choked. "Uh... Kayko, is this a new recipe?"

"Yes, why? What's wrong with it?" Kayko asked, turning defensive.

"Nothing, I love it." Yusuke muttered.

------------------------------------

Koenma ate like all his friends, only in his study. His teacher was teaching him how to draw maps just by checking out the terrain. Koenma was heaving forkfuls into his own mouth, tearing through several plates of his dinner.

"And see this landmark? It would go here...are you listening, Koenma?" His teacher snapped.

"No." Koenma muttered, over mouthfuls.


	7. Chapter 7 Pranks and problems

Kiri tore through several plates of his own dinner. His mother watched in surprise, and his father frowned.

"I don't think you've ever eaten so much in one sitting." Kurama commented. "And that's saying something, because you usually eat 4 or 5 plates. You must have really been busy."

"I haven't eaten anything today." Kiri muttered. There was a dead silence, as the parents thought this over.

"Nothing?" Kurama asked. "That's an impossible feat for you, Kiri. Considering you eat twice your own weight in a day and-"

"And don't gain a pound." His mother cut in.

"-AND..." Kurama repeated. "I've never seen you skip a meal in all of your born days, so I don't believe it."

Kiri mulled this over. He had completely forgotten about breakfast or lunch. All of them had, really. He had been so excited about seeing Chetara, he hadn't bothered with breakfast, and they were so busy having fun they didn't bother with lunch. Kurama was right, Kiri had never skipped a meal. With his supersonic metabolism, he could eat anything and as much as he could hold without gaining a pound. His mother always joked about him eating as much as a small elephant. The meal skipping today had caused him to be so weak, on the way back, he wasn't sure if he was gonna make it home.

"Whatever. Don't believe me. I don't care." Kiri said, filling another plate and starting to eat it down.

"You are so skinny." His mother complained. "Like the other day when you walked into the living room and said that thing you said, and left, my guests thought I was starving you."

Kiri grinned.

"I remember you walked in and said, 'Hey, mom, I'm gonna go-'"

Kiri cut in, trying to spare himself his father's wrath. "Your food's the bomb today, mom. Of course it's always awesome."

"-Oh, thank you! I tried a new recipe today. You like it?"

"Yeah, it's great." Kiri grinned. "Well, I'm full. Gonna hit the straw now. Bye."

------------------------------------

Ari and Chetara were sitting in their treehouse. Chetara was eating some of the fruit they'd grabbed, and Ari was mooning over Artemis.

"You'd better eat," Chetara pointed out. "We haven't eaten anything all day."

"I'm not hungry." Ari sighed.

"You're gonna wind up eating twice as much tomorrow, and we don't have the wares for that." Chetara pointed out.

"Fine," Ari took an apple and started eating it. "Better?"

"Yes," Chetara finished hers and yawned. "Today was tiring, I think I'm gonna go to bed."

"Yeah, even though it's only like 8:00," Ari yawned. "I'm tired too." She finished her apple and went to bed, too.

------------------------------------

The next morning, everyone was gathered at Ari and Chetara's treehouse, waiting for the two girls to wake up. Kiri sighed.

"Can't we just wake them up?"

"I guess we could." Artemis frowned, thoughtfully.

"It is very early." Ayla smiled.

"They probably don't get up until 10." Koenma frowned.

"We're not gonna wait four hours!" Kiri announced. They fell silent.

"Well, wake them up." Kazuka said, waving his arm at the treehouse. "Cuz I'm not doing it."

Kiri sighed. "Hold on."

A few minutes later there were two shrieks and then a furious Chetara came to the door of the treehouse.

"Kiri!" She yelled, furious. Chetara climbed down and Kiri ran. Chetara tossed fireballs at Kiri's back and then started to chase him. Chetara chased Kiri quite a distance away, before returning.

"That jerk, nearly gave us a heart attack." Chetara growled. Ari came down, a bit wide eyed.

"Well, it's not as much fun happening to you, is it?" Ari asked Chetara, who growled.

Everyone stared at them. "What happened?"

"This branch grabbed my wrist." Chetara explained. "Ari's too, only they were shaped like actual hands with fingers."

Kiri came to the edge of the clearing, trying to look casual.

"Once I saw that it was a tree, I knew Kiri did it." Chetara growled.

Kiri took a step forward, casually. Chetara glared at him, and turned her back to him. Kiri sighed, and walked over there. Chetara wouldn't even look at him. Ari chuckled.

"Well, if it helps, not like you'll care, but I'm not mad. Chetara does that kind of stuff all the time." Ari smiled. Kiri nodded.

Ari yawned, the shock had worn off. "What time is it?"

"...6:00 A.M." Artemis blushed.

"Wow, alright." Ari yawned. Kiri put his hand on Chetara's shoulder. She brushed it off, and took a few steps away from him. Kiri looked puzzled. He walked over to the other side of the group and watched her.

"She's mad at you." Ayla whispered.

"I know." Kiri whispered back. "But, uh...why?"

"You scared her, and made her look like-" Ayla fell silent as Chetara glanced over there, and then away again. "-A fool."

"...so she's mad?"

"Yeah. If you were anyone but Kurama's son, everyone would hate your guts for some of the tricks you pull. But because of who you are, they can't get revenge, or even act mad." Ayla whispered. "She doesn't care about your background, so you'll have to apologize this time."

Kiri bit his lip. "How do I do that if she won't even look at me?"

"Just walk over, apologize and hope she forgives. She doesn't have to look at you." Ayla smiled.

Kiri ambled over to Chetara, a bit nervously. "Uh... Chetara?"

She tossed her head slightly.

"I'm sorry." Kiri bit his lip. Chetara looked at him; the picture of depression. She sighed.

"Fine, come on. We have 12 hours to hang out today, right?" Chetara sighed. Kiri cheered.

"Yes! Let's go!"

Ari laughed. Artemis chuckled.

"Well, she got over that quick." Kazuka commented. Ayla and Koenma laughed.

"Wait," Ayla frowned. "We don't have 12 hours! We have that dumb dance/ball thing today!"

There was a deep and lasting silence. "...dance?" Ari frowned.

Artemis shifted his stance nervously. "Yeah, our parents think we need to go out and meet other people. So they have dances and balls and stuff."

Kiri sighed. "Great! I hate those dumb suits we have to wear."

"And dresses." Ayla commented. "I hate those."

Chetara and Ari exchanged glances. They frowned then smirked in thought.

"When is this dance thing?" Ari asked.

"It starts at 6 and it takes us 3 hours to get ready so we only have 9 hours to play." Ayla frowned.

"Where is it being held?" Ari asked.

"My house." Ayla sighed.

"Is it invite only or can anyone come?" Chetara asked. "Just wondering."

"It's open." Artemis frowned, then laughed. "Why? Want to come?"

"..." Chetara frowned. "Actually, we have something to do today, come to think of it. At noon."

"Oh, that's right!" Ari said, in mock annoyance. "I forgot all about it."

"So we only have 6 hours?" They asked, depressed.

"Yeah, we're sorry." Ari sighed.

Chetara shook her head. "Well, we'd better start having fun now."


	8. Chapter 8 The Party

Four hours later, they went down the path Ayla always went down when she was going home. They saw a huge mansion. Ari turned to run, but Chetara grabbed her.

"Get in there."

There were tons of people everywhere, loitering. The males whistled at Ari and Chetara, who ducked inside.

The room was filled with people back to back, laughing, talking. Ari and Chetara walked around the room once, not seeing anyone. Then they saw Ayla. They ran up to her.

"Ayla, where are Artemis and Kiri?" Ari asked.

"Uh, well..." Ayla frowned. She didn't recognize them. "The last time I saw Kiri, he was at the food table and Artemis was with him. Now, who might you girls be?"

"Ayla, it's us. Ari and Chetara!" Chetara whispered.

"Eek!" Ayla jumped. "No way. Wow, you two look different."

Ari blushed. "Good or bad?"

"Good!" Ayla nodded. "They're over there."

Koenma walked up. "Hello, Ayla."

"Hello, Koenma. Guess who these two are?"

"..." Koenma frowned, examining them. "Ari and Chetara!"

"Sh!" Chetara hissed. "We want to surprise Kiri and Artemis."

"Oh, sorry." Koenma frowned.

Ari and Chetara walked casually over to the food table, where they spotted Kiri and Artemis.

"Wow, Artemis looks really good in that." Ari blushed. Chetara laughed.

"I have my own opinion." Chetara laughed. "And are we going to talk to them, or are you going to gape at them all evening?"

Ari walked over there and grabbed a drink. She was standing next to Artemis. "Uh...hey."

Chetara walked over to Kiri. "Do you always eat so much?" She grinned. Kiri whirled.

"Chetara!" He gasped. "What are you doing...Wow. You look nice."

Chetara laughed. "So everyone's been saying."

Artemis looked at Ari blankly, then his face lit up. "Oh, wow. Ari." He blushed. "You look beautiful."

Ari blushed. "Thank you."

Artemis shrugged, grinning. "...Uh..." He blushed. "It's true. It's nice to see you."

Ari blushed. "Nice to see you, too."

Artemis took her hand. "Want to dance?"

"Oh, I don't know how." Ari blushed.

"That's alright, I'll show you." Artemis blushed slightly.

Chetara and Kiri watched them walk away. Chetara shook her head. "She's not wasting any time."

Kiri shook his head. "Hungry?"

Chetara laughed. "Yes."

"Alright. I'll give you the rundown. You don't want to eat that, that or that, because Artemis' mother made those things. They are unedible. That is more tolerable, because it's Kazuka's mother's food. That is horrifyingly hot, but edible. It's Ayla's mother's. And everything else my mother made, so it's alright to eat. It's delicious if my mother made it. A good rule to go by is if it has peppers, it's Ayla's mother's. If it's discolored, it's Artemis' mother's. If it's pretty, and smells like herbs, it's my mothers." Kiri grinned.

Chetara laughed. "Your mother is the only one among them that can cook?"

"Yup. Here, try this." Kiri offered something weird to Chetara. She ate it.

"Oh, wow." Chetara grinned, swallowing. "That's really good."

"My mothers. I wouldn't try anything that anyone else cooked, unless you're adventurous." Kiri grinned.

Chetara laughed. "I'll remember that."

"Do you know how to dance?" Kiri asked her.

"A little." Chetara shook her head. "Not really. It's been a real long time."

"You want to try?" Kiri asked. "It can't be any worse than Mukuro's cooking."

At Chetara's blank look he said, "Artemis' mother's."

"Oh, sure." She grinned. "I'll try one dance."

"Good, because I wasn't going to ask for another one." Kiri grinned. "If you're that bad."

"Thanks." Chetara laughed. "I appriciate the trust."

"Come on." He led her onto the floor.

Kurama was having a conversation with Hiei about something when he was distracted.

"Is that Kiri?" Kurama frowned. Kiri was dancing, and laughing with some girl. She was an ookami with black ears and a black tail with red tips. Her hair was black with red tips as well. He was going over the techniques with her and she was laughing. He dipped her, just for fun and she came up laughing. It was a fast dance, kind of and they were having a good time. They were both laughing.

He also spotted Artemis dancing with a girl. She was a neko with purple hair and black ears and tail. Artemis was also teaching her how to dance and they were having fun, as well. The girl seemed smitten with Artemis, and he seemed to feel the same about her. He spun her and she laughed. He spun her a few more times until she was dizzy and she wrapped her arms around him to keep from falling. She was laughing really hard and Artemis was grinning and laughing.

"I'm sorry, Hiei, can you excuse me?" Kurama asked politely, and then leaving. He went over to Kiri first to see this up close for himself.

"This is fun." The girl laughed. "You said this would be boring!"

"It usually would be, except you and Ari are here. So it's not boring." Kiri grinned. "Expecially because you're here."

Chetara laughed. "I'm glad we decided to come."

"Me too." Kiri grinned. The music came to a stop.

"Well, did I do alright?" Chetara grinned. "You said if I was a really bad dancer, you wouldn't ask me to dance another one."

"You did great." Kiri grinned. "That was fun. And I would ask you for another dance, but I need to rest a minute."

Chetara laughed. "Fine."

Kiri turned and spotted his father watching him. Kiri coughed slightly, and blushing, he grabbed Chetara and ran off the floor.

"Who was that, Kiri?" Chetara asked. "Your father?"

"Yes." Kiri bit his lip. "I bet he saw the whole thing. He's pretty cool when it comes to my friends, but when it's me, the rules of coolness do not apply."

Kurama frowned, mulling over what he'd seen. Did Kiri have a girlfriend he didn't know about? That had to be the case. First, he had to meet this neko girl Artemis had been so deeply conserned about.

Kurama walked over to them, where Artemis was teaching Ari to slow dance.

"..." Kurama cleared his throat, and Ari and Artemis sprang apart. Artemis turned pale, slightly. And Ari gave him a weird look.

"Uh...hello." Ari blushed. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, as well." Kurama smiled. "Artemis, is this the girl Kiri mentioned?"

"Yes, this is Ari." Artemis blushed. "Ari, this is Kiri's father, Kurama."

"So you're Kiri's father." Ari grinned. "You two seem so...different."

Kurama sighed. "Yes. I can't figure out why he turned out that way."

"What's wrong with the way he turned out?" Ari asked. "I think he turned out fine. He's loads of fun to hang out with, he's a good friend. What's wrong with him?"

Kurama fell silent, thinking.

"No offence, sir, but you're a bit too judgemental of Kiri. It seems to me you only see the bad, instead of the good." Ari frowned.

"Who are you to judge my opinion?" Kurama asked, quietly.

"A friend of the object in discussion." Ari frowned. "And not a pushover."

Ari smiled at Artemis. "I'm going to get something to drink."

She left.


	9. Chapter 9 Party CRASHED!

"Well, she's certainly bold."

"She tells the truth. She doesn't care who we are, or what our backgrounds are." Artemis frowned.

"You two have been sneaking off to see these two, haven't you?" Kurama asked.

"Actually, 5 of us have." Artemis frowned. "And I'm going to join her."

Kurama walked over to Kiri. "Hello, Kiri."

Kiri jumped slightly. "Hey, dad."

"I'm guessing this is where you've been for the past two three days." Kurama frowned.

Chetara frowned. Kiri blushed. "Uh, well..."

"So, you're the thief girl from the square." Kurama frowned. "And now you're at our dance. With my son. Hm..."

Kiri fell silent, shocked.

Chetara gasped. "Excuse me?" She growled. She bit her lip. "I'll be nice to you, because you're Kiri's father, but that would be the only reason. It doesn't matter what you did, or how famous you are. I'll be nice for Kiri, but that's it."

Kurama raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Kiri stepped in, his shock over. "Dad, leave her alone! You don't understand!"

"What don't I-" Kurama started. Koenma, Ayla, Kazuka, Ari, and Artemis walked over.

"Chetara." Ari said, softly. "Let's go home."

Chetara sighed. Ari was trying hard not to start crying. She hadn't cried in years, so whatever had happened to her must've been as bad as what was happening now. Chetara took her arm.

"Alright."

"Wait!" Kiri cried. "I'll walk you home."

"Me too, Ari." Artemis tried to smile. "No matter what father says."

"Me too." Kazuka announced.

"I'm coming." Ayla announced. Everyone was surprised. Ayla was making a decision on her own.

"I will too." Koenma smiled.

Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara walked up.

"Where all you all going?" Kuwabara grinned, trying to be cheerful.

"We're going to walk Ari and Chetara home." Kazuka announced.

Hiei shook his head, growling. "Artemis, you're not."

"Oh, yes I am." Artemis announced, grabbing her hand. "Come on."

"Kiri." Kurama frowned. "You aren't walking them home either."

"...!" Kiri snarled. "We are not chess pieces, or mind slaves. We're kids. We are prodigies. We are making our way in the world, we need space, we need to make our own decisions!"

Kurama took a step back, surprised.

"Make a break for it!" Artemis yelled. The seven kids ran for the exit and made it into the forest. They dropped their energy levels so low, they wouldn't be noticed and hid. To their surprise, they weren't found.

So, they walked Ari and Chetara to their treehouse.

"..." There was a deep silence.

Ari mustered her breath. "I'm sorry about all that. It's all my fault."

"For what? It would have happened eventually. Maybe they'll realize we're people, not puppets to be controlled at their every whim." Kiri shrugged.

"Or that we're alive." Artemis said, bitterly. "And it's not your fault."

"Yes it is, I shot off my big mouth. To Kurama, and then to Artemis' father." Ari sighed, dully.

Artemis put his arm around her. "It needed to happen."

"Anyway, speaking of happenings, how did you all get those dresses, anyway?" Kiri asked.

"They used the sum of money Chetara's parents left them. And the small amount Ari's parents left." Artemis muttered.

"How'd you know?" Chetara asked.

"She had to tell my father that." Artemis said, bitterly. "He wanted to know how you two could get them. Not quite that nice, but still."

There was a group sigh.

"Do you all want to come up?" Ari asked. "Chetara can start a fire..."

They looked at her like she was crazy. "Start a fire in a treehouse?"

"Oh, Ari found some stuff that is all burnproof, some stuff from some tree, and we made a huge circle of it on the bottom and we put wood there and burn it." Chetara shrugged.

"That's an...interesting idea." Koenma commented.

"Why are you here?" Kazuka asked. "You didn't rise against your father!"

"Perhaps I did, just in a less flashy way." Koenma smiled. "And...I have been wanting to..." Koenma shook his head.

"What?" Kiri asked.

"Well, I asked my father if I could date Ayla, but he refused. Appearently quasi-deities can't date demons, so I have two reasons to rebel." Koenma smiled.

Ayla gasped slightly. "Really?"

Koenma blushed. "Yeah..."

Ayla hugged him. Koenma blushed, and hugged her back. Ari giggled.

"Cute." Ari grinned.

"Don't laugh." Chetara frowned. "You're an even bigger idiot when it comes to Artemis, so..."

Ari laughed. "Yeah, yeah." She climbed up the tree and everyone followed her.

Kiri grinned. "Need help?"

"Not anymore." Chetara said, cheerfully. "We made a ladder."

"I'm so proud." Kiri grinned.

"Ooh, sarcasm." Chetara said, climbing the tree. The treehouse was very awesome. It was literally, a house in a tree. There was a pile of wood in the middle of the room on a shiny surface, and the ceiling in that area was also shiny. Chetara lit it up and they all sat around, thinking, until one by one, the fire lulled them to sleep.

------------------------------------

Kurama held Kiri's mother. "Why?" She cried. "You had to run him off! He was barely ever here to begin with, but now he's not even coming home!"

Kurama held her silently. "We'll find them. We'll find Kiri."

------------------------------------

Yukina cried her jeweled tears when she heard the news.

"Don't cry, Yukina, sweetheart, we'll find 'em." Kuwabara cooed.

"I hope they're alright!" Yukina cried.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Kuwabara sighed.

------------------------------------

Mukuro and Hiei were sitting there, quietly. Neither of them said a word. There was nothing to say. Hiei had explained the situation and then neither of them said anything.

------------------------------------

Kayko was sobbing and Yusuke was holding her in quiet anger. He was determined to get his daughter back.

------------------------------------

The next morning, Ari woke up to yelling. At her, it seemed. She looked around, and found she did not recognize the landscape. Then she realized that she and Chetara were tied to chairs.

"Hey, Chetara, I don't remember this. What'd we do last night?" A sleepy and groggy Ari asked her.

"Ari-no-baka! We got kidnapped!" Chetara yelled.

"Oh, alright." Ari yawned. She closed her eyes.

"Ari! Wake up!" Chetara yelled. Ari's head snapped up.

"I'm awake!" Ari yelled. "Ok. Better?"

"Yes." Chetara growled. "Now, any ideas?"

"Can I wake up first?" Ari asked.

"I thought you were awake!" Chetara yelled.

"Hold on!" Ari growled back. "First, why were we kidnapped, and where is everyone else?"

"We were kidnapped because we were with them, and they're in another room." Chetara shrugged.

"Oh, alright. Is there anyway to communicate with them at all?" Ari asked.

"I don't know. I don't think there is." Chetara sighed.

"Well, we're not doomed yet." Ari grinned. "I'll try to think of something to save all our hides, and you try to think of something also."

Chetara nodded. "And you try to think of something other than Artemis."

"Well, I'll try..." Ari shrugged.


	10. Chapter 10 Kidnapped

Kiri woke up, tied to a chair. "What?" He asked, looking around. He was in this room with Ayla and Kazuka.

"Ayla, Kazuka, what's going on?"

"I don't know." Ayla shook her head.

"Me either." Kazuka shook his head also. "I just woke up like this."

"I can't believe we were kidnapped!" Kiri yelled. "So unfair!"

------------------------------------

Koenma and Artemis woke up in another room, and they looked around.

"Where are we?" Artemis yelled. "How'd we get here?"

"We were kidnapped." Koenma said, dryly. "I'm assuming. What I'm wondering is if our new friends played a part in this..."

"DON'T EVEN ACCUSE THEM!" Artemis yelled. A girl walked in.

"Hello." The girl smirked. Artemis glanced at her, and then away. Then back to her.

"Ari...?" Artemis gasped. She laughed.

"Artemis." She grinned. "Don't yell so loud."

"..." Artemis gasped. "So...you were in on this!"

Ari laughed. Artemis hung his head, and tears rolled down his cheeks. Koenma frowned.

"Don't blame yourself, Artemis. It's not your fault, we were all taken in by the little ruse." Koenma frowned.

"I just can't believe..." Artemis whispered. "Why, Ari? Why...?"

Ari stared at him, and what it was dissolved into a black smoke in front of them.

------------------------------------

A few hours later, Ari came up with an idea. "Chetara? Can you tell where everyone else is?"

"Behind me." Chetara gestured with her head. "Why?"

"I got an idea. But I need to talk to everyone." Ari frowned. "I don't know how to do that."

Chetara raised an eyebrow. "Use your big mouth to get their attention, and then have them get the next room's attention. Kiri said Artemis is psychic, so when it gets to him, he should be able to connect all of us."

Ari nodded. "I can try... I hope I don't attract unwanted attention."

Chetara shrugged. "Can't make the problem any worse."

"Oh...they can just kill us. It can be alot worse." Ari frowned. "But I'll try..." She shouted loudly to the next room and heard,

"HEEEYYY!" It was Kazuka. "ARRRIII!CHETARA! YOU TWO ARE ALRIGHT, RIGHT?"

"YEAH, WE'RE FINE!" Ari called.

"GOOD! DO EITHER OF YOU HAVE ANY WAY TO MAKE A WAY OUT?" Kiri yelled, suddenly.

"I HAVE ONE, BUT I NEED YOU ALL TO GET ARTEMIS AND KOENMA!" Ari called.

"YELL TO THEM IN THE NEXT ROOM!" Chetara called.

"...HEY, ARTEMIS! YO, MAN! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Kiri yelled, loud as he could.

"...yo...man...?" Chetara asked Ari, who shrugged.

"YO, DUDE, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! HELLLLLLOOOOO! WE ARE IN A LIFE THREATNING SITUATION! IF YA WANNA DIE, KEEP IGNORING ME!"

"...g...aw..." Artemis was heard muttering.

"YO HOMESLICE! SPEAK LOUDER, OR WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR YA!" Kiri called. "WE NEED YOU TO USE THAT EYE IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR HEAD! CONNECT US!"

"...I don't know how." Artemis frowned, talking just loud enough to be heard. "Go away."

"WHAT? NO WAY!" Kiri yelled. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"

"...they tricked us." Artemis frowned.

"ARI AND CHETARA ARE WITH THE ENEMY!" Koenma called.

There was a supreme silence. Then, Kiri used a word he never used because his father had bidden him not to. He felt it was appropriate.

"HELL NO! THEY'S TRICKING YA! ARI AND CHETARA ARE HELPING US OUT OF HERE! NOW, USE THAT EYE!" Kiri called, ignoring Artemis' and Koenma's comments.

"I SAID I DON'T KNOW HOW!" Artemis finally yelled.

"WORD! TRY ANYWAY!" He yelled.

Ari and Chetara were listening to this, confused. What? What was going on out there? There was a buzzing in their minds. All of their minds. A splitting, crackling, tearing noise that made no sound. It HURT!

"Aghh!" Ari screeched, throwing her head around. Chetara was trying to hold her head, and couldn't. Then, it was gone, and as though a veil had been lifted.

("...OOOWWWW!") Kiri groaned.

("...That really hurt.") Chetara complained.

("...sorry...") Artemis frowned.

("Did one of you have some sort of idea?") Koenma asked. ("Ari probably. Traitor.")

Everyone everywhere froze, but Koenma and Artemis.

("Wha-what are you talking about?") Ari cried.

("You came in here long enough to torment Artemis and left, you heartless demon monster!") Koenma accused.

("She's been tied in here the whole time!") Chetara yelled. ("I woke up before she did, and she was here!")

("...I think I'm getting rope burns...") Ayla frowned.

("Don't worry.") Koenma changed the conversation.("When -and if- we get out, I'll heal you, promise.")

Ayla smiled. ("Thanks.") She said.

("No problem.") He smiled back.

("Now, back to the topic at hand, Springer live...") Kiri announced.

("What what?") Ari asked.

("Never mind.") Kiri sighed. ("Now, how are we going to get out?")

("First, I need to know what everyone can do.") Ari replied. ("Artemis, do you have telekinesis?")

("Yes.") Came his reply.

("Kiri, plant manipulative at your command, capt'n Ari!") Kiri grinned.

(" Spirit swordsman!") Kazuka announced, proudly.

("You know what I can do.") Chetara sighed.

("I can pick locks.") Ayla announced. ("But I don't have a pick. I need one.")

("This room is fireproof, and the chair and what I'm tied with!") Chetara wailed. ("Not fair!")

("I have a spirit gun.") Koenma frowned.

("I can't do anything, but I have a lock pick I have no clue how to use. Artemis, can you figure out how to get this to Ayla?")

("Too far away.")

("Kiri, grab this and move it to the next room. There's a potted plant. Can you do it?")

("I think so...") Kiri closed his eyes and concentrated hard. A delicate tendril stretched out and grew to Ari and took the bobby pin. It turned and went through a very small hole in the floor. Too small for even a mouse. And it kept growing until it had covered 40 out of the 50 yards and collapsed.


	11. Chapter 11 Elemental, and twin sister

("Kiri! What happened? Are you alright?") Ayla asked.

Kiri was breathing heavy and looked totally drained.

("It's too much, I can't do it.") Kiri breathed.

("You can't?") Chetara asked.

("...no. My energy's spent. I wasn't allowed to use it much, so I can't do anymore.") Kiri took a deep breath.

("Thank you, Kiri.") Ari smiled. ("Artemis, is it close enough?")

("Yeah. I have to hurry, though, because my energy's getting spent on the communication.")

The hair pin lifted up, slightly and quivered there for a few seconds. It lifted higher and higher, still quivering.

("It sucks, don't it?") Kiri asked. ("It hurts.")

("...") Artemis ignored him.

It glided through the air, and hung above Ayla's hand. It dropped into it.

("I got it!") Ayla cried.

("Good, don't drop it, because I don't have enough energy to do it again.") Artemis frowned. Suddenly the connection fizzled.

"What happened?" Ari cried.

"Artemis ran out of energy." Chetara sighed. "Let's hope Ayla hurries."

------------------------------------

Ayla was working on picking her lock. Kazuka got frustrated and made a spirit sword and started hacking at the magic infused chains. Totally elemental proof. Sure enough, it melted it a bit.

"Thought these are fire proof?" Kiri frowned, weakly. "Or..."

Ayla continued working the pick.

"Elemental proof!" Kiri announced, smiling slightly. "Keep going, Kazuka."

Kazuka continued hacking at the chains.

------------------------------------

Artemis was spent and Koenma was examining the chains.

"These aren't normal chains..." Koenma frowned.

"Well, they're fireproof." Artemis shrugged, slightly.

"And waterproof, and ice, plant, earth, time, elemental!" Koenma frowned. He slid over as much as he could, and concentrated a focused blast on the chain, which wilted.

"Good going!" Artemis cheered. Koenma blasted it over and over and over until finally it melted and he stood up. Kazuka ran into the room.

"Oh, you got it?" He asked. "Alright." He helped Koenma break Artemis out and they went to where Ari and Chetara were.

------------------------------------

Chetara was ticked and simmering over the elemental chains.

"Oooh, you know you need to get over that? So you can't melt anything. You're weak anyway." Ari laughed.

"Well, you're not fire proof! I can melt you." Chetara blasted Ari with her fire, but her aim was off and blasted the back of Ari's chair, melting her regular chains. "Darn, I missed!"

Ari stood up, and walked over to Chetara examining her chains. She smirked at her.

"You know you're an easier target now, right?" Chetara snapped.

Ari laughed. Kiri came running in.

"Woah, how'd you get out?" Kiri asked.

"Regular chains." Ari laughed. "Chetara's stuck!"

Chetara threw a handful of flames at Ari, who dodged.

"Woah, chill!" Kiri knelt down there next to her. "Ayla will be here in a second."

Ayla came in and knelt down and started working on the lock. "Wow, everyone's getting out on their own..."

"Not Chetara." Ari snickered.

"You didn't either!" Chetara yelled.

"Yeah, but I'm not stuck!" Ari laughed.

"Not my fault." Chetara whined.

Ayla unlocked Chetara's chain and let her out.

Chetara morphed into a wolf and chased Ari around the room. The rest of the gang came running in and watched the comical scene. Ari was pretty fast but still the same speed as Chetara. Ari turned a sharp corner and Chetara careened into a wall. She just layed there.

"Is she dead?" Ari asked. "Kiri, go look!"

Kiri walked over there and peered at Chetara. "She's breathing..."

Chetara jumped up, a bit stunned. Kiri jumped, too and slammed into the ground.

"Ow." Artemis winced. Ari ran over to him and hid behind him.

"Artemis, help!" Ari cried. "She's going to kill me!"

"If I don't first." The cold voice came from behind them. Everyone wheeled to look. The Ari lookalike was there.

"Wow, you're pretty!" Ari grinned.

Chetara morphed back to full. "Baka."

The lookalike rolled her eyes. "All of you escaped. We only expected maybe one or two."

"Expected?" Chetara asked.

"Yes, expected." She smirked, darkly. "We wanted to kill both of you, and then use the others to lure the Reikai Tantei into our clutches. Once they arrived, we'd kill the rest of you."

"...you know," Ari wondered aloud. "You look alot like me."

Everyone groaned to themselves, but tried not to comment on her. Except Chetara.

"Why is it every time you open your mouth you sound like an idiot?" Chetara asked.

"Well, I can't help it! She does. Her hair's the same color. Artemis," She grabbed his arm. "What color are my eyes?"

"Uh...gold." He announced, without even looking.

Ari looked over at the lookalike. "So are hers. Why do you look just like me? Is that a trick or what you really look like?" Then she turned back to Artemis. "Is this the girl you thought was me?"

"I look like you because I'm your twin sister." The girl grinned, wickedly. "I really look like this."

"And uh...yeah." Artemis nodded.

Ari turned to Chetara. "Hey, we both have twin sisters now. Only mine's evil...I have an evil twin!"

"At least Aya doesn't try to kill us." Chetara rolled her eyes.

"Right." Ari nodded. "Hey, what's your abilities? And name?" She turned back to her twin.

"My name is...don't worry about it. You are a flaw, that's why you don't have any powers." The girl mocked.

Chetara flung a huge compilement of flames at the girl, who vanished in black smoke, and reappeared on the other side.

"You can't touch me with those weak little sparks..." She smirked.

"Darkness!" Ari announced. Chetara flung a little ball of fire at Ari, who jumped and immeadiately set to put it out. "Eek!"

"Kurojosei." She smirked. "By the way." And she vanished.

"Let's get out of here!" Chetara announced.

"We can try." Ari shrugged. "Chances are she-they won't let us out."

"Well, we need out fast! Our parents are in serious trouble." Ayla frowned.

"No kidding." Ari frowned. "Come on." They ran out the door, and into a bigger room. Kurojosei was waiting there for them.


	12. Chapter 12 Do you know your own kids?

"Too bad I have to kill you." Kurojosei announced. "I would have liked getting to know my twin."

"Yeah, I would have too. But...I'm not evil." Ari shrugged.

A man walked out. "Are they here?" He asked.

"All of them." Kurojosei grinned.

"Good. Time to show them what they're dealing with." He grinned. "Go ahead."

Kurojosei walked forward. "Are you 7 ready?"

Ari took a deep breath. "No, but come on."

"You couldn't do this when I was ticked." Chetara growled.

Kiri pulled out a seed from his hair, and grew it. It was a cactus sword. Long and ominous with huge spikes all over.

Artemis pulled out a collapsable staff, and Kazuka made a spirit sword. Ayla pulled out a whip, to the surprise of Koenma.

"Where'd you get that?" Koenma asked, in shock.

"I bought it. And hid it." She announced.

"Rebellious." Chetara grinned. Ayla laughed.

"Kinky." Ari volenteered. Koenma blushed, fiercely.

"Do you mind?" Kurojosei asked. "Can we start now?"

"Ah, go ahead." Kiri shrugged.

Kurojosei fumed. This guy was mocking her. She charged them. The fight was fast, flying, instantaneous.

Everyone against her, and she was winning. Ari accidentally knocked her in the head with an elbow and made her nose bleed.

"Urgh!" She cried. Ari blinked.

"Oops."

"I don't think it was supposed to be an accident." Chetara blinked.

Kurojosei, in a blinding flash, flung her sword and thrust it across the chest of the nearest person. Artemis. He went down, and flipped across the floor.

Ari froze, which wasn't a good thing when facing such a strong opponant. Then her screaming cry rang out and seemed to stretch on into time itself, and then came her blinding fury. She couldn't see or hear anything but her fury and Kurojosei. In a flash, she was there, cutting her down with fists and nails. She snatched her sword and jumped back.

Everyone but Ari froze, and stared at Artemis. They didn't even see her fighting alone. Kiri walked over there and knelt down next to him.

Kurojosei blinked. "What?" Ari charged her again, in blind fury. In another blinding flash, she was behind her, literally cutting her down, using the sword. Kurojosei collapsed down onto the floor. Ari lifted her sword up over her, ready to defile what was left.

Chetara glanced over at Ari, wondering where she was. "ARi! What are you doing!" She cried.

She was ignored, as Ari brought the sword down. The guy caught it and flung Ari like a rag doll across the room. He checked the girl lying on the floor. She was alive, but barely.

"Take him and go." He snarled. He picked the girl up and they left. Ari stood up, dizzy and sick. She couldn't walk straight and couldn't believe it. Artemis was gone. She walked over to Artemis, swerving this way and that. Everyone was knelt over him, stunned. Chetara walked over there and helped Ari get there before she hurt herself.

Ari knelt over Artemis. Her thoughts were reverberating in her head. One thought was, (It's all my fault. If I hadn't screwed up at that dance...)

Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama burst in the door. They saw the group gathered around Artemis and they froze too. Hiei turned away from the sight.

Ari, once the shock of seeing what she thought she'd never see, her eyes filled with tears. She hadn't cried in a very long time, but the tears came. One lone tear escaped down her face. It landed on his chest, in his wound. With a gasping sigh, she jumped up and started to run for the door. Hiei grabbed her arm, furious.

"You did this!" He cried, angrily. "You caused my son to..." He cut off. "You worthless nothing!" He growled. "Who do you think you are to come in and change everything! Now look at my son!"

Ari froze up, totally freaked out and shocked and upset. But other than that tear there was nothing she could do.

Chetara ran over there. "DON'T YELL AT HER!" She growled. "You don't know how everything happened, so don't accuse her. And besides, if you'd been a better father none of this would have happened. If any of you had been a better father none of this would have happened! Do you even know your own kids?"

They all froze, and Hiei let go of Ari, who dropped to the floor and covered her head.

"It is my fault." She whispered, softly. "All of it."

No one noticed Artemis' chest wound beginning to heal and seal itself together. Not even Kiri, who was leaning over him, eyes closed, in total shock. They were all crying except Ari. His wound healed itself and there was one kibeat. Ari lifted her head. Everyone paused, and looked around.

"Was that...?" Ari paused. Hiei ran over to Artemis. They all crowded around him. Another kibeat followed, followed by another. Then, they started strongly.

"He's alive!" Kiri cried, happily. Everyone sighed, tension gone. Then, they started smiling. When Artemis opened his eyes, in confusion, they started cheering wildly. The kids did, not the adults.

Artemis looked around, still confused. "...uh...hey. What's...up?"

Ari, in ecstacy, kissed him on the lips. He froze, and blushed hugely. Hiei eyed her suspiciously.

Ari laughed. "Kurojosei killed you...I thought. We all did. But you're alive!"

"Nice way to trust me!" He raised an eyebrow. "Now why would I go and die on you?"

"I don't know," Ari shook her head. Everyone pulled him up.

He stumbled for a second, and then was able to walk. With a yawn, he announced he was starving.

"Me too! I think I'm gonna die over here!" Kiri whined. "No dinner last night, this morning, or for lunch!"

The adults laughed, tension sliding.

"At least you get more than one meal a day! And as much as you can eat! And anything you want! My dinner yesterday and the day before was an apple!" Chetara growled.

The adults raised eyebrows, and the kids laughed.

"Well, I'll have to feed you some real food sometime!" Kiri laughed.

"That'd be cool." Chetara grinned.

"It's a date!" He announced, happily.

Kurama eyed them now. "This date will happen at the house."

"Alright!" Kiri cheered.

Artemis laughed. "You don't want to come over to my house for dinner. Our food's inedible."

"Describe inedible." Ari raised an eyebrow.

Artemis laughed. "You might like it if your dinners an apple...maybe."

Ari laughed. "I'm willing to try."

Hiei frowned at them and walked out of the room. Everyone watched him. They all chased after him in a hurry. They didn't know their way back, so they needed to follow someone.

"You know, to celebrate all of us being alive, we should all go to Kiri's house and eat dinner!" Kazuka announced.

Kiri laughed. "Why not? I'll mention it to her. 6 guests...or fourteen?"

Yusuke nodded, emphetically. Kurama sighed. Hiei hesitated and then nodded. Kuwabara nodded, quickly.

"No more frozen dinners." Kuwabara agreed. Kazuka nodded.

"I hate frozen dinners."

"Well, I hate spicy food." Ayla offered. Yusuke laughed.

"I'll tell Kayko to lighten up on the peppers."

"There is no solution for our food problem." Artemis sighed.

"Yes, there is, get her a cookbook." Chetara offered.

"Hiei tried that." Kurama hid his grin. "She tore it to pieces. And was completely insulted, and..."

"Cut him off. Whatever that is." Artemis shrugged. "For a week."

Ari laughed. "Are you that sheltered?"

"...I guess, because I don't get it." Artemis frowned. Hiei was debating on running off back to the house when Ari made her next comment.

"I need to introduce you to that kind of stuff then." She grinned, a touch wickedly.

"NO you don't!" Hiei growled.

"Well, looks like we're actually going to have to listen to adults now." Chetara shrugged.

Artemis raised an eyebrow at Ari's grin. "You look like your sister."

Ari laughed. "So what?" She took his arm. "Is that supposed to mean something? Oh, I get it. I look evil. Well, thanks!" She stormed off ahead for a few paces.

Artemis chased after her. "Wait! I didn't mean it, I'm sorry."

Ari paused, then started laughing. "Calm down, I didn't cry over you to just turn around and get mad over the most stupid thing."

"Just so you know, it's the first time she's cried in 10 years." Chetara elaborated.

"Wow, so I really am special." He teased. Ari laughed.

"Yes, you are." Ari teased.


	13. Chapter 13 Venus Fly Trap

The adults all exchanged glances of amusement. They had -well, have- the same problems in their relationships.

"Can we just get to my house?" Kiri complained. "I'm going to die."

"You can make it." Chetara rolled her eyes.

Kurama shook his head. "I'd doubt it. He eats 13 plates of food in a day. On average."

"Wow." Chetara blinked.

Kiri groaned, then sat up. "Hey, I know where we are! This is where that wicked Venus Fly Trap plant is! The one I..." He cleared his throat. "The one that popped up overnight. It's HUGE. Like, three of us together."

"It better not decide it likes demons." Chetara frowned.

"Well, see, I've seen it eat demons before..." Kiri laughed, nervously.

"Plants burn." Chetara grinned.

"You can't burn it!" Kiri cried.

"It attacks us and I will." Chetara frowned.

"..." Kiri bit his lip. He'd spent many a day growing that thing and many a day luring other demons into it! It couldn't be burnt. "I'll...try and work with it."

"I thought you were out of energy." Chetara frowned.

"I am, but I can still talk to them. It should listen to me." He smiled, slightly.

"Doesn't work, and it's going up in smoke." Chetara frowned.

Ari raised an eyebrow.

They walked into the heart of the forest, and sure enough there was a HUGE fly trap plant in the middle. That had to have been what it was. It was sitting open there in the middle. It had a crimson red center into a green edge. And spikes around the edge. It was as big as Kiri had said, 30 feet wide, and 20 feet tall, but it was bent over towards the ground. It looked ready to eat someone. Chetara got ready in case she needed to blast it. Kiri looked at her panicked, and stood in front of her, in an attempt to protect it.

/Hello, master./ The plant grinned. /Bring me more food/

"No." Kiri took a breath. "These are important people to be left alone."

Kurama raised an eyebrow. "Master?"

/I am weak./ The plant complained. /It is hard to find enough nutrients, or two legged creatures to fufill me. Or four./

"You're-you're dying?" Kiri cried.

A rustle of the leaves indicated a yes. Kiri sighed.

"I will return as soon as possible. Until then, hang on long as you can." Kiri announced.

"You created this thing?" Kurama asked, and Kiri nodded.

/I've evolved from flies to two legged creatures. Quite a movement./ The plant grinned. /Thanks to Master./

The plant closed and sat up, allowing them to pass.

Chetara relaxed and passed through. They all followed. Kiri paused at the plant. He could see it was in bad condition. The soil was bad here, from him draining it and there were little to no creatures left in the forest.

"I always wondered why we were having problems getting food." Chetara frowned.

"We had to compete with a plant!" Ari grinned.

"Oh, he usually feeds on animals, but the other half of the time I lure...uh-he preys on-demons stupid enough to come see him."

"Lure?" Chetara raised an eyebrow.

"Kiri..." Kurama said, ominously.

"Uh...I'll be back!" He said to the plant, running off and everyone chasing him.

Chetara switched to her wolf form, as she felt more comfortable running that way. They all arrived at Kiri's house. Kiri burst in the door.

"I am home. Break out the candles and the cake!" Kiri grinned, flinging his arms out.

Ari and Chetara, following him stopped.

"What's cake?" Chetara raised an eyebrow. Kiri's mom flung herself at him.

"YOU'RE HOME!" She cried, crying. Chetara turned back full and they watched them.

"Hey, Mom. Do you have dinner ready?" Kiri grinned.

Kiri's mother laughed. "Of course. For how many?"

"Fifteen." Kiri bit his lip.

Kiri's mother laughed again. "I think I might be able to cook that much."

The rest of them ran in and sat around. Kurama offered to go around and tell the women. The offer was readily accepted. Ari and Chetara were feeling uncomfortable in a real house.

"Wow, this place is big." Ari remarked, walking backwards. She tripped over a stair and landed on Artemis, who was on a chair.

"Yeah, it is." Chetara nodded.

Ari turned to Artemis with a laugh. "You ok?"

"Fine." Artemis replied.

Chetara was staring at the ceiling like Ari had been. She took a few steps forward and walked into Kiri.

"Woah...watch it." Kiri frowned.

"Sorry, I didn't think a place could be so big."

"Compared to where you live it is big." Kiri chuckled.

"You're lucky to live here."

"I guess, but it's kinda harsh." Kiri mumbled.

"Is it worse than being an orphan and having to fend for yourself since you were six?" Chetara snapped.

"No, but I have limited freedom."

"That's not SO bad."

"I guess not," Kiri shrugged. He glanced at Ari who was making herself comfortable in Artemis' lap. Hiei was glaring at them.

Chetara took a step closer to Kiri.

"You mentioned a date. Right now, you're acting like a bad boyfriend."

"...Well, uh...what would you like me to do?" Kiri asked, walking over to the couch and sitting.

"Are you that naive?" Chetara frowned, walking over to the couch, and sat next to him. She layed her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her.

Hiei glared at them, then back at Artemis and Ari, then glanced at Ayla and Koenma, then back at the other four. He backed up so he could glare at all six of them at once. Kazuka sat there calmly, and closed his eyes.

Kurama walked in and immeadiately spotted Kiri and Chetara.

"Uh...hey, Dad." Kiri offered.

"Kiri..." Kurama started, then shook his head. Mukuro ran over to Artemis and then stopped, seeing a girl in his lap.

"Hello, ma'am." Ari said, politely.

"...What's going on here?"

"Well, I fell on him, and he's just so comfortable that I didn't want to get up." Ari grinned. Artemis blushed.

"Well, move so I can see my son." Mukuro ordered, with a growl. Ari stood up and walked over to the couch and sat pouting. Artemis and his mother hugged slightly.

"Oh, we brought some food." Mukuro announced to Kiri's mother. Chetara lifted her head to look around, then put it back down.

"Great." Kiri's mother replied, with a sigh.

They removed it to the kitchen. There were some frozen, some unidentifiable, and some with huge hot peppers.

"You guys weren't kidding when you talked about their food." Chetara remarked.

Kiri laughed, "Yup, no kidding."

Ari shrugged, sitting in Artemis' lap again. "I don't know. Some of it looked pretty good."

"Compared to some of the stuff you've eaten, yeah." Chetara remarked.

Ari shrugged. "Like that one green blob we found in the forest?"

"Yes."

"It tasted like mushrooms." Ari shrugged. "I still have no clue what that was."

Artemis blinked. "And you ate it?"

"Rank." Kiri blinked.

"We were out of food."

Ari laughed. "That's not the worst."

"Worse than a green blob?" Ayla blinked, next to Koenma.

"Worse than a green blob." Ari nodded.


	14. Chapter 14 Food

"Ew...that's gotta be disgusting." Kazuka offered with a wince.

"Are you talking about that indescribable white puffball thing we found in that dried up river?" Chetara asked.

Ari nodded, with a grin. "That thing was REALLY good. Tasted like chicken, fish, deer, and a bunch of other stuff. I STILL don't know what that was..."

"Ugh." Kiri groaned. "That is vile. Sick."

Ari laughed at the group's reaction. "Some of the wild's worst and most inedible things have been eaten by me."

"Do not kiss me." Artemis warned, joking with her.

Everyone started laughing at them. Then they laughed at Ari's pseudo-reaction.

"Aw, but Artemis," Ari pouted, with a wiry laugh. "Why?"

Chetara looked over at Kiri, with a small smile. "What do you think?"

"About what?" Kiri grinned at her, slightly puzzled.

"The conversation?"

"I'm enjoyin it. Why?" He looked puzzled.

"Just wondering."

Kurama sat on the couch next to Hiei and he watched Chetara and Kiri. Hiei nodded, then went back to glaring at Ari and Artemis. Yusuke glared at Koenma and Ayla.

"You can just see the trust in this room." Chetara remarked, sarcastically.

Kiri laughed. Then to give his father something to really look at, he kissed Chetara. Chetara was thrilled and Kurama was instantly unhappy and on alert. He leaned forward, with a glare. The women came in.

"It's done." They smiled, eyeing their sons and daughters.

"Yay!" Kiri cried, abandoning Chetara to race into the kitchen. She just sat there, looking hurt.

"Don't worry." Artemis chuckled. "Kiri's favorite thing is food, and his metabolism's off the roof, so I bet he's lost about 5 pounds since yesterday. Five pounds he doesn't have to lose..."

Ari got up, let Artemis get up, and then they all went into the kitchen. Chetara sat next to Kiri.

Kiri glanced at her and the look on her face, then back at the food, then back at her. "Are you mad at me?" He asked, pausing for a second in his eating.

"Not really, just...surprised."

He laughed slightly. "My bad." He went back to binging.

"Help yourself." Kiri's mom smiled. "I'm Kiri's mom."

"I'm Ari." Ari bowed lowly, grabbing a plate.

"I'm Chetara."

"Nice to meet you both." Kiri's mother smiled, and Kiri got up for seconds.

"Same here." Chetara smiled.

Everyone started getting plates now.

Ari got a little of everything, not knowing what she'd like. She didn't need to worry though, to Ari, it was all delicious.

Chetara was a little more cautious with what she ate. She avoided anything identifiable. Ari finished her plate and got seconds. To everyone's surprise, she got mostly Mukuro's food.

Artemis gaped at her, then the plate. "Why are you eating that stuff?"

"I don't know, the other stuff tasted funny." Ari shrugged.

"We're not used to good food." Chetara remarked.

Kiri couldn't help it, he started laughing hysterically. Mukuro glared at Chetara, and then all the kids and fathers started cracking up.

"Well, I like it." Ari said, defensively.

"You would." Chetara shrugged, getting more food.

The kids were laughing so hard, they nearly tumbled out of their seats. Ari kept eating, and ignored Chetara.

"I think we've been alone too long, Ari, you're losing your sense of humor."

"I'm hungry." Ari complained, through a mouthful.

"And you're eating that. Wow." Koenma frowned.

Ari shrugged.

"Well, now we know what to do with our leftovers." Ayla nodded cautiously, with a smile.

Chetara looked down at her plate. It'd been a long time since she'd had a real meal and it felt funny to be having one.

"Go on, it's awesome." Kiri encouraged.

"I know." Chetara frowned.

"Well, some of it." Kazuka cut in, pointing to some of Kiri's mom's food. Then he pointed to Ari's plate.

"Right." Kiri nodded.

"Would you kids just shut up and eat?" Mukuro growled. Ari went up for thirds.

"Wow, Ari's beating you, Kiri!" Artemis laughed.

"We have a trash disposal." Kurama chuckled.

"A what?" Chetara asked.

"Trash disposal. It's something that you put garbage and leftovers in and it gets rid of it."

"I've tried that. Yuck." Ari remarked. Sitting for her third plate.

"Oh..." Chetara frowned.

"I like this stuff! Whatever it is." Ari commented. More of Mukuro's food.

"It's called Hot Pot." Mukuro smiled. "And thank you."

Ari kept eating, but she smiled. Kiri went for thirds.

"That's not much of a compliment since Ari eats anything." Chetara commented.

Kiri elbowed Chetara roughly. With a whisper, he hissed, "Do you know who Mukuro is? I'd cut that out!"

"I have no clue who she is."

"She's one of the Demon Lords!" He hissed.

"Oh! Oops."

Mukuro was glaring at Chetara with death in her eyes. Chetara was a little nervous now. She looked at Mukuro, saw the look in her eyes, and immeadiately looked away.

"We try not to offend the Demon Lords 'round here." Kiri chuckled.

"Well, I didn't know."

Kiri nodded. "Prob'ly shoulda warned ya."

"Too late to worry about that."

"The fat oni has sung." He remarked.

"What?"

Kiri jumped up for forths, at the same time as Ari. The rest of the kids went for seconds. Ari saw a cat over in the corner, watching them.

"Oooo, cat." She remarked. "...Um..."

"Just a cat." Artemis replied. "Cat from Ningenkai."

"Oh, ok." Ari nodded. She tilted her head at the cat.

"She's not friendly." Kiri remarked.

"Hey, she looks like you." Chetara remarked. "In your cat form."

"Really? She does not!" Ari insisted. "Her eyes are further apart than mine, and her left ear has that nick in it. Her eyes are more yellow than gold, and her nose is flat. She's ugly."

"I'm telling you, she looks like you." Chetara insisted.

Ari rolled her eyes. "Uh huh. Right." The cat strolled over to Ari, and eyed her.

Ari eyed the cat back. The cat seemed to be debating whether Ari belonged here or not. No, the cat decided. Hiss.

"Ooh!" Ari growled. She made a weird noise. The group looked confused, but what she'd said was, _Bring it! _

_Grr_, said the cat.

"Is she...gettin into a...fight with my cat?" Kiri blinked.

Chetara nodded. "Yup."

Artemis grabbed her arm. "Ari!" He interrupted. "Could you not...do that?" He said, confused.

"Fine." Ari sighed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Artemis sighed, closing his eyes. Ari stuck her tongue out at the cat, scornfully.

Everyone sighed, shaking their heads. They went back to eating.


End file.
